What is the main purpose of Simon in the novel Lord of the Flies? Please support your answer.I understand that there are many purposes of simon in the novel ie being a representation of man's...

What is the main purpose of Simon in the novel Lord of the Flies? Please support your answer.

I understand that there are many purposes of simon in the novel ie being a representation of man's natural goodness, being the key to the boys' salvation, etc. But what do you think has the most significance?

Simon has the power of "seeing" and understanding what the other boys cannot. When the boys worry about the beastie, it is Simon who suggests that the beast might be within them, and it is he who has the encounter with the "lord of the flies," which is so powerful that it makes him faint. He is killed as the other boys celebrate after a hunt. Because his name is associated with Christianity (Simon Peter, Christ's chief disciple), we can understand his death as a sacrifice resulting from the pagan sacrifice of the pig. See enotes character analysis of Simon and all the characters in Lord of the Rings by following the link below.

Simon's purpose was to show the others that the boys are innately evil, and that the beast is within themselves. This is because William Golding had no better way to present the idea of the boys themselves being the beast; introducing it indirectly was more effective than narrating it.